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Most Americans eat some kosher food every day, but chances are they’re not aware of it. Take a walk down the aisles of any supermarket and you will see that certification appears on over 60% of America’s produced foods that are certified kosher, from the coveted Oreo to the thirst-quenching Coca-Cola. Over $150 billion of kosher certified products are consumed annually, and spending continues to rise dramatically.

OU Passover Website For 2009, WWW.oupassover.org, Is Up and Running

March 12, 2009

Since 2006, the Orthodox Union has been calming frazzled nerves and answering questions on everything from cleaning to cooking inspired by one of the most enjoyable – but also the most intricate and complex to prepare for – Jewish holidays, Passover. The OU does this by creating a Passover website that can be found at http://www.oupassover.org.

The website, which was recently updated for 2009, is a one-stop shop for all Passover-related queries. Subjects range from recipe substitutions and cleaning tips, to kosherizing household items for Passover and the proper amounts of the traditional food and wine that must be consumed at the seder.
Popular features that have returned from previous years include a fully downloadable Passover Guide, which sorts all the various products, both edible and household items, into two sections of those allowed on Passover and those not kosher for Passover; an expansive database of all OU Kosher for Passover products; and a section of frequently asked questions and answers of common Passover food inquiries.

Brand-new for 2009 is a section on Birchat ha-Chammah (a blessing over the sun said every 28 years, and one that is said this erev (eve of)Pesach, April 8); additional information expanded from previous years on caring for infants and the infirm; new feature articles about dieting on Passover and cleaning for Passover, such as “Pesach Dieters, Take Note! You Can Have Your Potato – and Eat It Too,” by nutritionist Shira Isenberg; and “The Chef’s Table: Healthy Passover Pleasures,” by cookbook author Norene Gilletz. There will also be articles on wine, traditional seder items, and matzah, such as “From Grapes to Kosher Wine,” by Rabbi Shmuel Singer, OU Rabbinic Coordinator, and “What Could be Hiding in My Romaine?” by Rabbi Dovid Bistricer, OU Rabbinic Coordinator.
The website is managed by Rabbi Yonaton Kaganoff, OU Rabbinic Coordinator.

“Passover is a wonderful, but also incredibly detailed, holiday,” declared Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher. “The OU Passover website clarifies many issues of concern regarding proper preparation and observance of the Festival, while also providing informative and enjoyable features on various aspects of the holiday. The website is a wonderful resource for the entire Jewish community.”